Notre Dame’s national championship hero Arike Ogunbowale led her team to victory and made the cover of Sports Illustrated.

The 21-year-old will take on the competition with pro Gleb Savchenko.

_________________Make lots of noise
Kiss lots of boys
Or kiss lots of girls
If that's something you're into
When the straight and narrow
Gets a little too straight
Roll up a joint, or don't
Just follow your arrow
Wherever it points, yeah
Follow your arrow
Wherever it points

I guess her partner can go/has gone to South Bend to train with her so she doesn't miss classes. At least they normally train for 3 weeks prior to the start (April 30th)of the normal 10-week show (this one is only 4 weeks).

Contestants make a nice chunk of change on that show. How does that work?

The list of contestants gets more painful every time. About half from the Winter Olympics?

This is an athlete only edition

_________________Make lots of noise
Kiss lots of boys
Or kiss lots of girls
If that's something you're into
When the straight and narrow
Gets a little too straight
Roll up a joint, or don't
Just follow your arrow
Wherever it points, yeah
Follow your arrow
Wherever it points

Contestants make a nice chunk of change on that show. How does that work?

It's hard to square it with an NCAA that doesn't allow players to sell their own autographs or memorabilia.

_________________Make lots of noise
Kiss lots of boys
Or kiss lots of girls
If that's something you're into
When the straight and narrow
Gets a little too straight
Roll up a joint, or don't
Just follow your arrow
Wherever it points, yeah
Follow your arrow
Wherever it points

ND employees got instructions about potential NCAA violations tied to this because Arike is a student-athlete. We’re not allowed to promote her appearance, encourage votes for her on our social media accounts, or even so much as like a promotional tweet about her participation.

More from the instructions: “It is permissible to post a factual statement or wish her good luck. For example, employees can post a statement such as this: “Congrats/best wishes/good luck to Arike on DWTS!””

_________________Make lots of noise
Kiss lots of boys
Or kiss lots of girls
If that's something you're into
When the straight and narrow
Gets a little too straight
Roll up a joint, or don't
Just follow your arrow
Wherever it points, yeah
Follow your arrow
Wherever it points

Except for the fact that Notre Dame employees received guidance to comply with NCAA rules...

ND employees got instructions about potential NCAA violations tied to this because Arike is a student-athlete. We’re not allowed to promote her appearance, encourage votes for her on our social media accounts, or even so much as like a promotional tweet about her participation.

More from the instructions: “It is permissible to post a factual statement or wish her good luck. For example, employees can post a statement such as this: “Congrats/best wishes/good luck to Arike on DWTS!””

Except for the fact that Notre Dame employees received guidance to comply with NCAA rules...

ND employees got instructions about potential NCAA violations tied to this because Arike is a student-athlete. We’re not allowed to promote her appearance, encourage votes for her on our social media accounts, or even so much as like a promotional tweet about her participation.

More from the instructions: “It is permissible to post a factual statement or wish her good luck. For example, employees can post a statement such as this: “Congrats/best wishes/good luck to Arike on DWTS!””

I don't understand why it's not a violation for Ogunbowale to participate. The NCAA generally doesn’t allow student-athletes to capitalize on their college fame, even to the extent of selling their own autograph or memorabilia. How is a nationally televised competition any less of a threat to amateurism?

_________________Make lots of noise
Kiss lots of boys
Or kiss lots of girls
If that's something you're into
When the straight and narrow
Gets a little too straight
Roll up a joint, or don't
Just follow your arrow
Wherever it points, yeah
Follow your arrow
Wherever it points

Disney/ABC/ESPN decided to do a sports themed DWTS so they wanted to include people from various sports.

Who to get from Women's Basketball? Unfortunately, the WNBA is currently playing, so it's doubtful any of their players could make it. How about someone from college?

They talk with the NCAA and the NCAA, who wants to keep ESPN happy because they broadcast a lot of games in various sports and has large contracts with them, giving the NCAA a lot of money, says "Okay."

Who in Women's College Basketball is well known among the general public right now? How about the player who just hit back to back last second game winning baskets?

Except for the fact that Notre Dame employees received guidance to comply with NCAA rules...

ND employees got instructions about potential NCAA violations tied to this because Arike is a student-athlete. We’re not allowed to promote her appearance, encourage votes for her on our social media accounts, or even so much as like a promotional tweet about her participation.

More from the instructions: “It is permissible to post a factual statement or wish her good luck. For example, employees can post a statement such as this: “Congrats/best wishes/good luck to Arike on DWTS!””

I don't understand why it's not a violation for Ogunbowale to participate. The NCAA generally doesn’t allow student-athletes to capitalize on their college fame, even to the extent of selling their own autograph or memorabilia. How is a nationally televised competition any less of a threat to amateurism?

I guess maybe they view the autograph and memorabilia as personal promotion, but might consider this "promoting the sport as a whole?" They might view it as keeping the thought of Women's Basketball in the public awareness.

I'm not saying it's justified based on their stances in other circumstances. I'm just saying that might be their rationale. Just spit-balling here.

You mean like the way ND had their last 15 conference tournaments in their home state (including 10 BET on their home court) and had 3 of their last 5 regionals in their home state and the other two just one state over?

This is an absurd twisting of the rules given the other decisions they have made. The only reason for her being able to be on the show is trading on her fame from college basketball. The name of the show is "Dancing With The Stars" and she would in no way be considered a "Star" if it weren't for her basketball play. The idea that the money she earns will be as a result of her dancing ability, and therefore not related to her athletic prowess or fame, is ridiculous. It would be like saying that a player selling autographs is making money from his or her penmanship.

If this ruling signals a change in NCAA thinking about allowing players to make money based on their fame while they are still engaged in college sports then I am all for it, but this seems to fly in the face of several other decisions the NCAA has made, and as such it appears shameful. The only hope is that this ruling, perhaps in concert with the Ed O'bannon decision, can be used to allow players to earn money from their fame while they are in college.

In my understanding, athletes can get paid for doing stuff *not connected with their sport* so long as they don’t capitalize on that sport while doing it.

How is this not capitalizing on her sport? Her cast bio spends the whole first paragraph recounting her accomplishments on the court. No one can reasonably think she would have even been invited if not for her hitting the gamers in the F4.

_________________Make lots of noise
Kiss lots of boys
Or kiss lots of girls
If that's something you're into
When the straight and narrow
Gets a little too straight
Roll up a joint, or don't
Just follow your arrow
Wherever it points, yeah
Follow your arrow
Wherever it points

Even top athletes who compete in this actually mention how strenuous the workouts are (Yeah, people often discount how much work it takes to dance professionally).

As such, on one hand it should make her even more nimble on the court.

However, there is the other side of this...

Injuries aren't exactly unknown on the show either. I've only been watching the last 2-3 years (While I've been taking care of my mother. It's one of her favorite shows). While I don't recall any ACLs, there have been quite a few ankle sprains and other leg injuries.